History of the Jews in Verpelét

In 1944 under the German occupation the Jews of the area were sent for forced labour or killed at Auschwitz; only eleven returned to the town, and the synagogue has been converted for other use.

The first indication of the settlement of Jews in Heves county is from written documents, dating back to the 15th century.

Under the Habsburg monarchy, Jews were discriminated against, and amongst many restrictions, were not allowed to live near mining towns or in Heves county.

[3] Starting in 1816, the seat district of Eger published bulletins from which one learns of the dramatic increase of Jewish presence in the Heves and Külső-Szolnok counties.

[8] From documented records, it may be noted that Jews in the Heves area were an accepted and respected part of the population and engaged in labor, commerce and education as equal and prominent citizens.

Seemingly, the years thereafter were peaceful, and Jews continued to live there, freely participating in commerce and religious practice.

Samuel Feuerstein (1894–1983) of Massachusetts, United States, donated funds for a new building which housed the Beth Midrash and a dormitory.

Each dormitory room had been built with a sink and shower, though the town still did not have a plumbing system and water was drawn from pumps.

The remaining people, mostly women, children and elderly, were taken to the brickyard at Kerecsend for a few days and then to the Maklár Railway Station.